The new pump track in Detroit’s Corktown neighboorhood is causing a buzz and rightly so. It’s a great, low cost recreation alternative for a city with plenty of vacant open space.

And open space was a key discussion point at yesterday’s Finding Common Ground for a Sustainable Detroit conference. Dan Pitera, Director of the Detroit Community Design Collaborative noted that there is 1,045 square feet of open space for every Detroit resident. In San Francisco, there is 190 square feet per resident.

Yes, every Detroit resident could have their own pump track.

But at this point Corktown is it. Fortunately, the Corktown Residents’ Council Planning Committee are looking ahead. They are documenting what they’ve done and expect to share the plans and process for other Detroit neighborhoods. They have plans for some landscaping, benches, and more. They’re also looking at how to make sure the kids in the neighborhood have access to bikes.

The Department of Public Health and Wellness has a couple programs aimed at increasing youth activity. They are very interested in the pump track due to its simplicity, low cost, and low susceptibility to vandalism. It’s just dirt.

There are also some similarities between pump tracks and the city’s efforts to foster community gardening. Both are often build on vacant, require water, are community efforts, and build stewardship.

Also, a couple videos have been made of the Corktown project. The first is a cool one from MattMTB which shows the pump track being constructed.

And this one is from the Detroit Free Press.

This weekend a pump track is being built in the North Corktown neighborhood near MLK and Trumbull.

What is a pump track? From the Corktown Pump Track page on Facebook:

A pump track is a continuous dirt loop, similar to a BMX track but smaller, which can be ridden by cyclists of all ages and skill levels safely. They require little maintenance, promote healthy living & exercise and can beautify & transform a small space. This particular pump track was inspired by the wonderful kids that live in the direct vicinity of this location.

But to really get an understanding of it, you may want to a watch a video of someone riding a pump track.

The construction begins tomorrow, November 14th at 10am. They hoping to have it completed and rideable by Sunday.

This is a great location for a bike-related attraction. It’ll be on the Corktown/Mexicantown Greenlink, which includes bike lanes on MLK and Trumbull.

This is also on the same block as the Spirit of Hope which had a blessing of the bikes earlier this year.

So, how many major cities have a pump track located just a few blocks away from their central business district, a major casino, and a number of urban farms with chickens, goats, and hogs?

Riding in Detroit is not always pretty, but it’s always pretty interesting.

Don’t forget to register for the Tour de Troit ride scheduled for September 19th.

This year promises to be the biggest one yet. Just before noon this morning, there were 900 riders registered. That’s just 200 rider fewer than last year’s event and there are still nearly three weeks to go.

This event raises fund for the Corktown-Mexicantown Greenlink: 16 miles of mostly bike lanes and street improvements. This project is moving forward and will likely break ground next summer. This would double the bike lane mileage within the city of Detroit.

Corktown is already a very bike-embracing neighborhood. The oft filled bike rack in front of Slow’s is a testament to that. These bike lanes are just going to add to that momentum.

The full Tour de Troit press release will additional details is below the fold…

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Much has changed since last summer.  Al Fields, our main go-to guy for bike issues within the May0r’s Office left for a job at DTE.   We struggled to find a friendly ear to help us move things forward.

The change in Mayors solved that problem.  Not only is Mayor Cockrel pushing a green agenda, he’s a cyclist.

And near the end of last year he created the Office of Energy and Sustainability.  One of their key initiatives?

Promote implementation of the city of Detroit’s master plan, which will include the non-motorized plan, and many other pedestrian friendly initiatives, bike paths, parks, etc.

And more positive news?  The City of Detroit has completed the grant application for 16 miles of bike lanes and trails for Corktown.

With the upcoming mayoral primary election this month, the Metro Times has interviewed many of the candidates.  It was somewhat of a surprise seeing biking mentioned by a couple candidates.

• Before November, candidate Nicholas Hood III promises to “establish a series of free ‘healthy activities’ for the city such as city wide bike ride / walk with the mayor.”
• To reduce our dependence on foreign oil, candidate Sharon McPhail proposes “bike Lanes on all main roads with a system of high level fines for anyone found driving in them.”

Much has changed.

Bagley Pedestrian Bridge Concept from MDOT

There may be no better poster child for showing how expressways can divide a community than I-75 and Corktown/Mexicantown.

At this year’s Cinco de Mayo celebration, Bagley Street west of I-75 was closed to vehicles and packed with revelers in a huge community celebration.  On the other side of I-75, Bagley was devoid of people.  Even the coffee shop was closed.

It’s so apparent how I-75 and the Ambassador Bridge facilities have split these Southwest Detroit communities, but especially for those on foot or on bike.  Re-connecting Bagley would certainly be a  positive step forward.

Now MDOT is taking that step.

As part of their Gateway project, they are building a bike and pedestrian bridge over I-75, making Bagley Street contiguous once again.

For cyclists, Bagley is already a decent road to ride.  It has low traffic and low speeds.  Bagley east of I-75 will eventually have bike lanes as part of the Corktown/Mexicantown Greenlink Project.

Some of the many outstanding cycling destinations along Bagley include Clark Park, La Gloria Bakery, Los Galanes, Honey Bee Market, Cafe Con Leche Coffee House, Matrix Theatre, and my favorite Mexican restaurant, Taqueria Lupitas.

Also, MDOT is looking for artists to create public art along this bridge.  Here is their press release with further details: (more…)